Clothespin



2 G. F. SOUSA 0 CLOTHESPIN Filed March 2, 1950 INVENTOR. GABRIEL F. SOUSA Patented Aug. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CLOTHESPIN Gabriel F. Sousa, Portland, Oreg.

Application March 2, 1950, Serial No. 147,224

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to clothes pins.

The primary object of my new and improved clothes pin is to design a pin that can be clipped on the line while not in use, means being provided therein for preventing the same from being shaken ofi the line until forcibly removed therefrom.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clothes pin that will more tightly hold the clothes to the line than has heretofore been possible. In the carrying out of this object I.so design the clothes pin that the garment when hung on a line will be substantially encircled to secure the garment to the line.

A further object of the invention is to construct the clothes pin from wire that will not break or bend, and that can be easily kept clean.

A still further object of my invention is to eliminate having to carry the same in containers and having to hold the pin while hanging the clothes. As stated above the pin can be clamped over the line and be ready for instant use at all times.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings, specification and claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my new and improved clothes pin.

Figure 2 is an edge view, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 illustrates a clothes line having my new and improved holding clip hanging thereon andjillustrating how the same holds the article to be hung on the line.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the line, taken on line'4--4 of Figure 3, illustrating the principle of holding an article on the line.

Figure 5 illustrates the preferred method of applying the pin to the article on the line.

Figure 6 illustrates how my new and improved pin will hold articles, as for instance photographer's negatives for drying.

Referring more specifically to the drawings:

The improved clothes pin consists of a single piece of wire I, bent at 2 to form two substantially parallel spaced-apart spring-tensioned arms 2A and 2B.

The arm 2A near its upper end is bent inwardly at 8 toward the arm 23, and thence gradually bent upwardly to form a seat 8*, and beyond which the arm is bent to form a hook 3.

The upper portion of the arm 23 is bent over to form a partial eye 5 below the hook, and thence extended horizontally as at 9 to form one arm of a loop, and rebent substantially horizontally around the arm 2A, as at 5, to form the second horizontal leg 9 of the loop. The leg is bent upwardly to form a partial eye 6 to correspond to and conform with the partial eye 4.

In use, the two arms 2A and 2B are grasped by the hand and squeezed together, as shown in Figure 5; then pulled down to engage the partial eyes 4 and 6 with the line Ill, as shown in Figure l. When the arms are released, the garment and line are gripped between the partial eyes 4 and 6 and the seat 8* in the arm 2B, thus securing the garment to the line. In squeezing the two arms together, the partial eyes 4 and 6 cooperate with the seat 8 and form open jaws to receive the line, as shown in Figure 5. Then when the legs of the loop are slipped over a garment hung on the line, as shown in Figure 4, and pressure on the spring arms is released, the partial eyes force the garment and line against the seat, and it is impossible for the pin or the garment to be disengaged.

Obviously when the pin is not in use, it can conveniently be hooked over the line, as shown in Figures 3 and 6.

The pin can be used for supporting films as shown in Figure 6, but in this case, the film is merely pinched between the legs forming the loop and the horizontal portion 8 of the arm IA.

What I claim is:

A clothes pin, comprising a single piece of wire bent to form two substantially vertically spacedapart spring-tensioned arms, the upper portion of one of said arms being bent toward the companion arm and thence gradually bent upwardly to form a seat beyond which the arm is bent to form a hook, the upper portion of the opposite arm being bent over to form a partial eye below the hook, and thence extended horizontally to form one leg of a loop and rebent substantially horizontally around the first-mentioned arm to form the second horizontal leg of the loop, thence bent upwardly to form a partial eye to correspond to and conform with the first-mentioned partial eye, the partial eyes formed in one arm serving to grip the garment and line against the seat in the comv panion arm when the pin is in use.

GABRIEL F. SOU SA.

Name Date Number Young Mar. 11, 192 i 

